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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Kelvin Gastelum is being forced to move up to middleweight for his next fight after a bad weight cut left him hospitalized prior to his first career loss at UFC 183 in January, and now that first fight's been booked.
The UFC announced on Tuesday that Gastelum will take on another former welterweight in Nate Marquardt at UFC 188 in Mexico City.
The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner went 10-0 to start off his career, and arguably shouldn't have gone through with the fight against Woodley. Regardless, he lost a decision in that fight, and now hopes to bounce back in his second appearance in Mexico. Gastelum's parents were Mexican immigrants to the United States, and he took part in the first-ever UFC event in Mexico last November when he stopped Jake Ellenberger in the first round.
As for Marquardt, the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion went back to the UFC's middleweight division last year and scored a win over James Te Huna. However, he dropped a decision to Brad Tavares in his last outing, his fourth loss in his last five fights.
UFC 188 hits Mexico City on June 13, headlined by a Heavyweight Championship unification bout between reigning Champ Cain Velasquez and Interim Champ Fabricio Werdum.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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